New Cricket Scotland chief executive Trudy Lindblade vows to 'stamp out racism'

Cricket Scotland’s new chief executive has vowed to continue the fight against racism in the sport and will work to restore the organisation’s reputation after being appointed to the position.

Trudy Lindblade will begin her new role early in 2024 once she has concluded her time as CEO of the UCI Cycling World Championships, which took place in Scotland earlier this year.

Lindblade will join an organisation that was found to be “institutionally racist” after a review in 2022, and was accused of being “tone deaf and arrogant” after publishing a positive report on reforms earlier this year.

The incoming chief executive admitted that there was still work to be done to improve the sport in Scotland and deal with issues raised in recent years, but said that she was looking forward to the challenge.

“It is a privilege to be appointed as chief executive officer of Cricket Scotland,” she said. “I am excited to be returning to the sport of cricket and very much look forward to getting started in the role early in the new year.

“I am aware of the challenges that Cricket Scotland is facing and there is still much work to do.

“There has been positive progress since the release of the Changing the Boundaries report, and I am committed to leading Cricket Scotland’s effort to stamp out racism in our sport and ensure that we embody the spirit of community, belonging and equal respect.

“I’m looking forward to working with my new team and the cricketing community to build a bright and prosperous future for cricket in Scotland, using the new strategy and forthcoming increased ICC funding as a catalyst for delivering change and creating new opportunities to grow the game at every level.”

Pete Fitzboydon, the current interim chief executive, will remain in post until Lindblade takes office, and he believes the ideal person to improve the sport has been found.

“We are delighted to have secured a candidate as outstanding as Trudy to lead Cricket Scotland from early next year,” he said. “By then, we will have a new ambitious strategy in place and increased funding secured for the next four years, and Trudy is the ideal candidate to lead this new, exciting era for Scottish cricket.

“While we are excited about the future, we are very conscious of the ongoing challenges that Cricket Scotland and our sport is going through.

“While much progress has been made, there is a long way to go to ensure our sport becomes truly inclusive and anti-racist. I have committed to staying in my interim CEO role to ensure a seamless handover to Trudy to continue this work.

“Trudy was the standout candidate in a very strong field. The delivery of this summer’s impressive UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland is testament to her abilities, which combined with her previous experience in cricket made her the ideal person to drive Cricket Scotland forward.”